Teaching Note: Entrepreneurship and identity in an emerging market: the case of In3 Coffee in Chengdu Available to Purchase

This case explored the entrepreneurial journey of Ye, the 45-year-old founder of In3 Coffee, a culturally grounded speciality café in Chengdu, China. Launched in 2021 with municipal funding, In3 Coffee operated as a hybrid café, roastery and barista training centre built in a repurposed industrial site using reclaimed materials. It quickly gained popularity among Chengdu’s younger generation due to its emphasis on design, quality and cultural authenticity. Despite this visibility, by January 2025, In3 Coffee was running at break-even: the café covered its costs, wholesale bean sales provided the only profit and training activities were run at a loss for...